It Should Happen to You (1954)

When a young woman with dreams of fame rents a billboard to advertise herself, her life changes overnight.

Director:

George Cukor

Writer:

Garson Kanin (story and screen play)

Stars:

Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Peter Lawford

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Judy Holliday	...	Gladys Glover
Peter Lawford	...	Evan Adams III
Jack Lemmon	...	Pete Sheppard
Michael O'Shea	...	Brod Clinton
Vaughn Taylor	...	Entrikin
Connie Gilchrist	...	Mrs. Riker
Walter Klavun	...	Bert Piazza
Whit Bissell	...	Robert Grau
Constance Bennett	...	Guest Panel
Ilka Chase	...	Guest Panel
Wendy Barrie	...	Guest Panel
Melville Cooper	...	Guest Panel

Storyline

Gladys Glover has just lost her modelling job when she meets filmmaker Pete Sheppard shooting a documentary in Central Park. For Pete it's love at first sight, but Gladys has her mind on other things -- like making a name for herself. Through a fluke of advertising she winds up with her name plastered over 10 billboards throughout city. Suddenly all of New York is clamoring for Gladys Glover without knowing why and playboy Evan Adams III is making a play for Gladys that even Pete knows will be hard to beat.

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Plot Keywords:

billboard | filmmaker | advertising | model | fame | 

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Taglines:

The private life of a New York blonde with a body beautiful who became a beautiful PUBLIC FIGURE!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Name for Herself

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Garson Kanin originally wanted to direct his own script but could not get a commitment from studio chief Harry Cohn in writing guaranteeing him final cut. He ultimately sold the story outright to Cohn and went to Europe for three years.

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Goofs

The fictional New York TV station on which Gladys appears has call letters KXIW. Call letters for radio and television stations located east of the Mississippi River normally begin with W; Ks are generally assigned only west of the Mississippi. This has been the case since 1923; however, numerous W's west of the Mississippi, and K's east of the Mississippi, have been "grandfathered." Examples are KDKA, Pittsburgh, and WBAP, Forth Worth.

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Quotes

Gladys Glover: I haven't changed. I'm the same as I was before - only in a different way.

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Crazy Credits

Introducing 'Jack Lemmon'

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Connections

Featured in The Lady with the Torch (1999)

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Soundtracks

Let's Fall in Love
(1933) (uncredited)
Words by Ted Koehler
Music by Harold Arlen
Performed by Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon

User Reviews

Carefree in Manhattan

This immensely funny comedy, which we had seen years ago, popped up suddenly on cable. It was just a reminder of those innocent years of New York in the 50s. It shows what a great director, George Cukor, working with a frequent collaborator, Garson Kanin, can do as they bring magic to Manhattan.

New York is a magnet for people with dreams and ambitions that come to the city to make their name known, as is the case of Gladys Glover, a transplant from upstate that hasn't yet made her mark in Gotham. It doesn't take long before Gladys is a minor celebrity because of her name being plastered all over town in billboards that only show her name.

There's a funny scene that takes place in Macy*s where Gladys had gone shopping with Pete Sheppard. She's buying towels that are on sale for 54 cents! Oh, and there are others for 64 cents! When she gives her name to the sales lady, the woman immediately realizes she has a celebrity in her department because she can see Gladys' name through an open window! Talk about logic, Mr. Kanin, or even Mr. Cukor, probably never set foot on the Herald Square store: there are no windows in any of the big Manhattan department stores!

The brilliant Judy Holliday makes this picture her own. She was such an accomplished comedienne that she could do anything and outshine anyone near her. It's a shame this funny lady's life was cut short of an impressive career in the stage and in movies. Ms. Holliday was an actress who brought a lot of joy to any of the roles she undertook, as proved here; we don't doubt for a moment she is Gladys because she acts without any effort.

Jack Lemmon, in his first movie, is also very likable as the documentary photographer, Pete Sheppard, who can't help himself falling in love with Gladys. Mr. Lemmon showed his huge talent from the beginning. Playing opposite Ms. Holliday must have been the answer to any aspiring young actor starting in films. He was also a natural who could do anything at all on the stage and later in his long years in front of the camera.

Watching this film is like taking a nostalgic trip to the New York of that era.